1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to decorations in general, and more particularly to internally illuminated decorative objects.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are already known various constructions and configurations of diverse decorations intended to be and actually used to celebrate, commemorate or observe any one of many festive or holiday periods, such Christmas or Hanukkah, Chinese New Year, Halloween, etc. Typically, the character of the respective decoration is geared to the kind of event for which it is to be used, even though there are some decorative objects (such as candles) that are sufficiently "neutral" to be usable for more than one occasion.
More elaborate decorative objects, however, are usually predestined for a single purpose, that is, for just one event. Santa Claus and/or reindeer statuettes, which are usually hollow to be easily transportable from the storage to the display area and back, and are typically made of cast or molded synthetic material and painted in various colors, are examples of such more elaborate objects that are only used during the Christmas season. In this context, it has already been proposed to choose a material for such statuettes that is at least translucent, and to light them from the inside by electric lights that are strategically placed in the hollow interiors of such statuettes. Of course, the internal illumination of such decorative objects is intended to make them prominent or noticeable during the evening and night hours.
Examples of illuminated decorative objects can be found in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,977,695; 4,989,126; 4,995,181; 5,016,145; 5,165,790; 5,237,766; 5,311,417 and 5,315,492.
However, despite the apparent attractiveness of these known decorative objects, they have not found widespread use. For one, it is believed that the relatively high cost of such objects dissuades many people from purchasing them. On the other hand, the relatively huge amount of space that these statuettes occupy even when not being used, which is more than 95% of the time, may constitute another weighty reason why they have not found wider acceptance than they did.